Gamblers Stymie Saints in Overtime

By Jordan Kuhns, 10/07/17, 10:30PM CDT

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Defensive effort carries the day, but overtime power play goal ends the game

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Carver Watson took just 43 seconds into the overtime session to end the game, as his shot popped the waterbottle on the power play to give the Green Bay Gamblers a 2-1 victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday night at the Resch Center.

Watson took a cross-ice dish from Brock Caufield with just 20 seconds remaining on the power play and snapped a shot over Jaxon Castor, who had a stellar game for the Saints overall. It was Green Bay’s second win of the year in their weekend sweep of Iowan rivals.

Castor was routinely great throughout, making several huge saves—21 of them total—for the Saints on Saturday night. He got the start on back-to-back nights after getting the go on Friday against the Chicago Steel.

It was his counterpart, Vegas Golden Knights draft selection Maksim Zhukov, who made 25 saves in the win for Green Bay, and kept the Saints to just one goal. Alex Steeves tied the game following a Green Bay tally with fewer than three seconds left in the first period. Bauer Neudecker danced a Gamblers defender and found Steeves open right at the netfront and beat Zhukov.

Green Bay got on the board first with some puck luck. Caufield led forward Matt Jennings with a soft chip pass to the middle, and as Jennings was falling, he was able to get a stick on a rolling puck and through Castor to start the scoring at 8:54 of the first period.

The Saints’ defense especially shone in the second period, as they only allowed three opposing shots by the Gamblers. They also forced three power play chances in the frame.

The Fighting Saints had multiple chances on the power play—six total—but were unable to score on the man advantage. Green Bay scored on one of their three opportunities.

With the win, the Gamblers ended a nine-game losing streak against the Fighting Saints dating back to the 2016 Clark Cup playoffs.

The Fighting Saints are back in action on home ice as they host Dupaco Cowbell Cup rival Waterloo on Friday, October 13, and then will travel to Waterloo to close out a back-to-back with the Hawks on Saturday. Tickets to Friday’s game are available by calling the box office at 563.583.6880, or by going to DubuqueFightingSaints.com.